The present invention relates to electrical outlet or junction boxes and more particularly to an improved outlet box mounting assembly which permits the outlet box to be mounted on a wood stud without the use of a hammer and to be moved in or out with respect to a wall surface.
Electrical outlet boxes currently in use have an open face which should lie flush with the outer surface of the wall behind which the outlet box extends. During construction of a building, these boxes are normally nailed or secured to wall support studs and are wired before the dry wall, paneling or the like applied to the support studs. Generally, once these outlet boxes have been secured to a support stud, their position with respect to the wall surface cannot be adjusted after the dry wall has been applied. Therefore, in the past, if the outlet boxes were not initially installed in the proper position, it was necessary to expend a great deal of time and effort in order to ensure that the outlet box was flush with the wall surface as required by the National Electrical Code.
Some devices for adjustably mounting an outlet box to a support stud have been suggested. However, these prior devices suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, one type of known adjustable mounting assembly does permit easy access to the adjusting means after the wiring had been installed in the outlet box. This is a significant disadvantage, since the wiring normally is installed in the outlet box before the dry wall is applied. Other prior adjustable devices have proven complicated to install or manufacture.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable outlet box with mounting assembly which does not suffer from the disadvantages of prior outlet box assemblies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an outlet box mounting assembly which permits adjustment of the outlet box with respect to the surface of subsequently applied dry wall or paneling.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable outlet box mounting assembly which is easily adjustable even after wiring of the outlet box.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable outlet box mounting assembly which can be installed by pushing it onto a support stud by hand, without the use of a hammer or the like, thereby saving labor.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable outlet box mounting assembly which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable outlet box mounting assembly which includes means for limiting the extent of travel of the outlet box relative to the support studs.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following description and drawings.